Julia Raga Pascual

Julia Raga is a Spanish born clarinettist who began her studies in Ontinyent (Valencia-Spain) at the age of 8 in the windband “Agrupació Musical d’Ontinyent”. At the age of 12 she was accepted at Conservatori Professional de Música “Josep Melcior Gomis” d’Ontinyent with Francisco Campos Bosch as her principal teacher. During this period Julia won some special prizes as “Premi Ciutat d’Ontinyent” and “Premi Professional de Música” as a reflection of her outstanding record as a student.

In 2011 Julia was accepted to do her undergraduate in the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Óscar Esplà” de Alicante where her principal teachers were Rafael Albert and José Franch Ballester. She graduated with First Class Honours. Julia is currently studying an MMus in Orchestral Artistry in association with the London Symphony Orchestra in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where her principal teachers are Andrew Marriner, principal clarinet of the London Symphony Orchestra;

James Burke, co-principal clarinet of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Principal clarinet of the Academy of St Martin-in.the-Fields; Eb clarinet with Jenny McLaren, principal Eb clarinet of the Philarmonia Orchestra; and Robert Ault, bass clarinettist of English National Opera.

As part of her clarinet education Julia has attended several masterclass with Michael Collins, José Franch Ballester, Jonathan Cohler, Eduardo Raimundo, Enrique Pérez, Josep Fuster, Luis Miguel Méndez, Javier Ros, Carlos Lacruz, Rafael Albert and Tamás Massányi. On the other hand, she has attended several chamber music masterclass with Jan Halinska, Ralf Gothoni, Damián Rubido and José Franch Ballester.

Julia has performed with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Guildhall Chamber Orchestra on a number of occasions. She has had the pleasure to play alongside different conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vassily Sinaisky, Roberto González-Monjas and Ben Gernon. Thanks to Guildhall School, Julia has been envolved with the UBU ensemble or the Guildhall New Music Ensemble, where she had the opportunity discover the challenge of the new music. Julia has been envolved in the LSO Platforms as part of the Orchestral Artistry course in association with the LSO. Julia had play with different orchestras and profesional windbands across Spain, as Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Orquesta Sinfónica de Alicante or the Orquesta Sinfónica Ciudad de Elche. She has played with the profesional WindBand, Banda Federal de la Comunitat Valenciana as a bass clarinet during the seasons of 2012 and 2014.

National and international prizes include the second and first prize of the Concurs Joves Solistes Vila d’Agullent in 2009 and 2010; finalist in the XXIX Premio de Interpretación “Sociedad de Conciertos de Alicante”. Second prize in the internacional clarinet quartet competition with the “Klosé Clarinet Quartet” in 2014; First prize with the “Trio Sch3rzo” in the VIII “Villa de Cox” Chamber Music Competition.

As a soloist she was selected to perform the Clarinet Concerto by Artie Shaw with the Windband of the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Óscar Esplà” de Alicante, and in 2014 she performed whe II Concerto for clarinet by Oscar Navarro with the Societat Unió Artística Musical d’Ontinyent.

Nowadays she is bass clarinet of the Orquestra de Vents Filharmonia with José Rafael Pascual Vilaplana as a principal conductor.